Source: Rock Bridge Trees (TN)
Size shipped: #1 RootMaker knit fabric bag (measured almost 2')
Planted: In ground, September 2020
First flowering: None yet
(This plant stayed behind when I moved in 2021; therefore, the following text will receive no further updates.)
The bottlebrush buckeye is touted as an amazing native shrub/tree for shady locations, flowering in summer, developing a nice spreading shape, and also turning a nice yellow in the fall. So it seemed like a no-brainer for the shady spot between my huge maple tree's trunk and my shed, where almost nothing grows between the maple's obnoxious woody surface roots -- not even weeds.
I had trouble digging what I thought would be a hole deep enough for a 1-gallon root ball. So did I have a right to be annoyed when I cut the knit fabric bag free of the plant and saw the bottom half of the substrate just fall away? It certainly made it easier to plant the thing at-grade (and maybe even still above-grade somewhat; I think I saw two small roots coming out in the first inch above the substrate line). It certainly seemed that the buckeye had only recently been repotted into the 5"-diameter bag and had not yet had time to fill it out. Seems a bit disingenuous to me to sell such a plant at the full 1-gallon price. But as you can see from the picture, the crown didn't betray such a small root ball, so it seems that the RootMaker system is doing its job. If it also lives up to the promise of faster establishment, I will have little room to complain...